EALI PHASE I

Photo of Blue Ribbon Steering Committee Members. The REACH Ashland Youth Center was a EALI Phase I priority project. The construction was completed on April 17, 2012 and the Dedication Ceremony on May 22, 2013. Visit www.reachashland.org for more information.

In 2007, stakeholders in Eden Area came together for an 18-month planning process to identify the most important issues facing their communities, develop a collective vision of livable communities and outline a prioritized list of twenty-four catalyst projects for the area, with five projects selected to receive immediate attention. More than 800 people participated in this process through community forums, task force meetings, leadership committee meetings, surveys, and a community Charrette.

The projects selected for immediate action included: 1) developing a community center in Cherryland; 2) changing the planning commission body to better reflect unincorporated communities; 3) implementing school and neighborhood based violence prevention and injury reduction strategies; 4) improving government accountability; and 5) developing a teen center in Ashland.

Accomplishments of EALI Phase I:

Governance

  • Increased representation of majority of Eden Area in the Alameda County Planning Commission
  • Created a public process and new form of involvement in Board of Supervisor’s recruitment of appointees to West County Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) and Planning Commission
  • Established an Unincorporated Area webpage
  • Generated a Web casting of Board of Supervisor meetings
  • Implemented a process of Soft Remand between Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission and the BZA
  • Created of the Neighborhood Advisory Group (N.A.G.)
  • Created a Government Documents section at the Castro Valley Library

Cherryland Community Center

  • Researched and created a work plan for the Cherryland Community Center Safe Schools and Neighborhoods
  • Engaged in community dialogue about street outreach intervention, health clinics, and identification cards for undocumented residents

Ashland Youth Center

  • Engaged, designed, and constructed the Ashland Youth Center
  • Developed potential community programs including health clinic, child care, employment services, library, teen parenting program and performing arts area; planned to open in 2013

Community and Other Accomplishments as a Result of EALI

  • EALI symbol/logo
  • Eden Area Community Profile
  • EALI Evaluation Committee with Eden Area residents to evaluate EALI Phase I
  • Collaboration with other jurisdictions (Hayward Area Recreation District, San Lorenzo Unified School District, through the Unincorporated Area Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
  • EALI Joint Leadership and Community Educational Forums
  • Nonprofit Roundtables for CBO Program Staff and Executive Directors
  • "Show Me the Money" workshops for CBOs led by Talking about Taxes (increasing revenue through tax and budget reform)
  • Appointed Officials Workshop
  • Latino Community Forum
  • Community Leadership Forum Series
  • Livable Communities Seminar with Charles Gandy of Livable Communities and David Parisi a Bay Area Civil Engineer
  • California State Association of Counties Award for EALI
  • Dig Deep Farms
  • Streetscape Improvements (Castro Valley Boulevard, Lewelling Boulevard, Hampton etc.)
  • Gardeners of Eden